Customer Reviews

Sauder Library

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a great bookcase. It was very easy to fix. The back is kind of cheap looking, but once the books are in it doesn't matter. For the price its great, and it holds all my books.

I have purchased several Sauder pieces in the past and was always pleased -- good quality, easy to assemble and durable. When I needed a new bookcase, I ordered the Sauder Beginnings white five-shelf bookcase. After it finally arrived, I had a handyman assist me in the assembly. Usually the parts have identifying stickers making assembly easier, but not this time. It was a bit confusing trying to match the parts to the pictures. The screws, etc. were sorted on a compartmentalized paper board, but the labels were underneath the screws so you had to open the packages to ensure you had the right one.

The quality of the product was definitely not as good as previous items I had purchased. There was damage to the finish of the bottom skirt piece, but we installed it in such a way that it was less noticeable. The shelf piece for the top of the bookcase was only finished on one side. Because the underside is more visible, we put the unfinished side on the top. Fortunately it's a 6' tall so it's not seen, but I've never seen a bookcase like this. The worst was the backing. It was about the thickness of poster board. I couldn't believe how flimsy it was. We even nailed it to some of the adjustable shelves trying to give it more stability.

However, we had already done quite a bit of the assembly before making some of the discoveries. It would have been an extra expense to pay my handyman to take it apart and then put another one together, so I decided to keep it. It's in my guest bedroom so it's not real visible. I have written the manufacturer expressing my displeasure with the product.

The key to appreciating this Sauder bookcase is to understand what you are getting. This is a very inexpensive basic bookcase made of pressed wood. It is not an heirloom that you will leave to your children. It will likely arrive with slight dents in the wood here and there. The top is unfinished (though won't be visible unless you are well over 6 feet tall). The back is a thin piece of painted cardboard. But with ordinary usage, it should hold books quite well for as long as you reasonably need it to. I ordered the six-foot high version, which helpfully uses one of the middle shelves as a brace to hold the frame together. It was incredibly easy to assemble. And it cost $66 with free shipping from Futoniture. Just what we were looking for!